Lee County Weekly (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 13, 1989 Page: 1 of 14
fourteen pages : ill. ; page 21 x 13 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
All-Star Tournament Schedule, page 7
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
22M
USPS No 000235
14 Pages -11nsert One Section
AWARD WINNE
1 LEE COUNTY WE
1989
LY
Vol. 4 No. 33
Thursday, July 13, 1989
The Strong Clear Voice of Lee County
50 Cents
Established 1985
Power plant fire
claims ife of
Rockdale man
County awards
insurance contract
A May 15 accident at the Texas
Utilities Electric/Sandow plant has
claimed the life of a 30-ycar-old
Rockdale man after a six-week
battle for life.
Robert Engclke, Jr., an employee
of the utility company, died June
28 at Brooke Army Medical Center
where he was being treated for third-
degree burns over almost 90 percent
of his body. Engclke was air-lifted
to the medical center the morning
after the accident.
An investigation by TU
Electric/Sandow has reportedly
confirmed early suspicions that
lignite fuel at the plant ignited
when a piece of pipe was removed.
Engclke and another employee, 29-
ycar-old James Gilchrist of
Thorndale, were performing
maintenance work inside the shut
down unit at the plant when the
explosion occurred. Gilchrist, who
was less seriously burned, is
reportedly now recuperating at
home and undergoing rehabilitation
treatment in Austin, after spending
three weeks at Parkland Hospital in
Dallas.
OSHA is currently investigating
the accident.
ITS BEEN A BAD DAY -Leonard Gantt of Giddings slumps against the Orsag's furniture store building after a
stock trailer he was towing came loose, carreened across Highway 290 and hit the store building late Monday
afternoon. Police said the trailer jarred loose from the hitch on Gantt's pickup when he crossed the railroad tracks
on the highway.
Bogus check cashing scam
Lexington child
bitten by
copperhead
A five-year-old Lexington girl,
Erin Woodward, was bitten by a
copperhead Saturday evening while
playing in the yard. She was
rushed to Lee Memorial Hospital
for treatment.
Erin, the daughter of Jan and Fred
Woodward, was playing at her
aunt's home near a water hydrant at
almost dark when she reached down
to pull some grass and was struck
on the hand by the snake.
According to her mother, the
hand swelled and had to be lanced at
the hospital. She also had to have
a tetanus booster and required anti-
venom shots for three days
following the incident.
"There are no major
complications," said her mother
Jan, "other than getting over the
scare."
Erin stayed in the hospital
overnight but is reportedly back
home and doing fine.
A routine case of reported forgery
has turned out to be a bogus check
operation that has been successful
in several Texas cities.
Police said a local grocery store
reported a forgery Thursday. A
Food 4 Less employee told police a
man came into the store on June 29
and the store cashed a payroll check
for $397.26. Lee County Bank
reportedly called the store Thursday
with the information that the check
was bogus.
Police said it appeared that the
suspect obtained counter checks
from a Houston bank, stamped the
name of a valid business on them
Less did not have the correct address
of the bank and a wrong routing
number was printed on it.
Lara said the the bogus checks
were hard to spot because of their
good quality.
According to information
and printed the address and routing •obtained by Lara, the bogus check
number on them. Captain Joe Lara
said the check cashed by Food-4-
please see BOGUS on pg. 5
Nitsche and Ferguson Insurance
Company was selected as the
county officials' liability insurance
carrier by county commissioners
during Monday's regular meeting.
The liability insurance will cost the
county $8,461.46. County
officials had considered using
another insurance carrier who had
submitted a million dollar liability
policy that would cost the county
$2,295. According to County
Treasurer Rose Fritsche, that policy
was, "not the same type of policy"
as the policy the county has carried
through Nitsche and Ferguson
through the years. Fritsche said the
policy submitted by Texas
Association of Counties is a self-
insurance program. The treasurer
said, "Under the self-insurance plan,
if a claim is filed against the
county, next year's billing would be
adjusted for the deficit."
The commissioners approved
several line-item budget
amendments in the current budget.
Those amendments do not change
the total budget expenditures. The
line-item budget changes are
necessary when there are overages
and shortages within certain budget
items in each department. The
monies are reassigned to a new line
item within each department
budget. In one department, the
telephone budget was increased by
$500 while the stationary and office
supply budget was decreased by
$500.
In other action, court members
discussed the Northrup streets,
which have been abandoned for
some time. The commissioners
decided that the adjacent landowners
may purchase the abandoned streets
if they present a proposal to the
court.
$500 reward
offered for stolen
travel-trailer
A 1989 Sierra travel trailer was
cut from its moorings by thieves at
a rural location off Hwy 21, in the
Elm Creek area sometime Sunday
night. Thieves cut through two
fences to low the trailer from the
property.
The trailer is described as beige
and brown with a blue stripe and
was believed to be headed east on
S.H. 21 as the thieves made their
getaway.
Owners of the trailer, Darlene and
Ivan Fortune, are offering a $500
reward for the return of the trailer
valued at between $15,000 and
$20,000. The Fortunes planned to
retire in the recently purchased
trailer.
Anyone with information
concerning the theft is asked to call
the Lee County Sheriff's
Department at 542-2800.
Grandson charged with
Fayette County murders
A 21-year-old Fayette County
man remains in the county jail after
he was arrested and charged with the
murders of his grandparents at their
farm house in Winedale Tuesday, a
day after he called authorities in
Shenandoah and confessed to
shooting the couple on Saturday.
Kenneth Anthony Sanders is
charged with the shotgun murders
of Wilburn "Bruddcr" Voelkel, 71,
and Selma Voelkel, 69. Both
Voelkels were reportedly shot in the
face with a .12-gauge shotgun.
Sanders is being held in the Fayette
County jail on bonds of $500,000
for each of the two murder charges.
Sheriffs deputies found the
couple's bodies inside their home in
Wincdale after going to the 60-acre
ranch in response to a report of the
murders from Shenandoah police.
Sanders reportedly called the 9-1-1
in Montgomery County from a
motel where he was a registered
guest and confessed the slayings to
the dispatcher on duty. No motive
has been given for the shootings.
According to reports, Sanders,
who was recently parolled from the
Texas Department of Corrections
on a DW1 conviction, had lived
with the Voelkels since he was 13.
The man’s mother lives in Tomball
' and his father lives in Arkansas.
Funeral services for the Voelkels
were held Thursday at Bethlehem
Lutheran Church in Round Top,
with the Rev. Craig Storlie
officiating. Burial was in the
Richter Cemetery.
FUTURE WINNER? -Glen Atkison (r) stands by a colt in his care, Handsome Hawk, a veteran of his first race - a
winner. Glen's daughter, Ashley, is on board for the picture. Handsome Hawk is owned by Lodie and Shelley
Stapleton of Sealy.
Horse racing: Lee County's next boom
by Susie Freeman
Editors note: This is the first in
a series of articles about horse
racing and its economic impact on
Lee County.
SCENE OF DOUBLE SHOTGUN SLAYINGS -This pastoral setting was the scene of two brutal murders in
Fayette County last Saturday. The bodies of Wilburn Voelkel, 71, and Selma Voelkel, 69, were found by sheriff's
deputies Monday after the Voelkel's grandson, Kenneth Anthony Sanders, 21, reportedly called Montgomery County
authorities and confessed to the shootings. Sanders lived on the 60-acre ranch with his grandparents in a small
house (see insert) located a few yards from the Voelkel residence. Sanders has been arrested and charged with the
murders.
The oil boom may be over and
agriculture producers struggling with
uncertain markets, but the horse
racing industry is alive and well in
Lee County. Well over 350 race
horses are stabled in the county at
present and that figure can only
incresc now that parimutuel betting
has won statewide approval.
Glen Atkison, 34 year old Lee
County horse trainer, has recently
achieved star status by moving into
the top ten in national standings,
rated by the American Quarter
Horse Association.
Glen and his wife Penny, who is
the granddaughter of Walter Dube,
operate Atkison Racing Stables,
located off F.M. 141 about 12
miles north of Giddings. Their
operation consists of a full service
race horse stable including training,
breeding, mare care and yearling
preparation for the track.
Atkison, a Burnet native, began
his interest in horses in his home Pryborski and McMeans
town. "A trainer, whose kids were purchased the colt on advice from
friends of mine, got me interested Atkison and leading breeders Lodie
in horses. I guess I've been around and Shelly Stapleton of Sealy, the
it all my life," said Glen. owners of world record holder Little
He began his racing career as a Bit Shiney, with a speed index of
jockey and rode winners in Texas, 114 and winner of $798,000. Little
New Mexico, Louisiana, Old Bit Shiney was Atkison broke and
Mexico and New York. In 1982, trained and now stands at Southwest
when his weight became a problem, Stallion Station in Elgin.
Atkison took up training and has Atkison's other services include
steadily moved towards the top in standing the Grade 1 Kansas Derby
his chosen profession. Winner Dealing Easy plus his mare
The current star in Glen's barn care and yearling prep. There are
with a speed index of 98, is Deadly currently 20 head in training at the
Dart, a two-year-old gelding who Lee County facility, a figure
has already earned $98,000 plus in Atkison doesn't like to exceed in
winnings. He finished third in the order to give personal care to each
Kansas Futurity and will make his individual. Also on hand during
next appearance in the $500,000 breeding season will be
Rainbow Futurity on national approximately 50 broodmares,
television, Sunday, July 16, at making this one operation a boon
Ruidosa Downs, to all related businesses in the
Deadly Dart will be ridden by county.
jockey Jerry Nicodemus, one of Glenn, Penny and their children,
quarter horse history's greatest Luke, age nine, and Ashley, age
riders, in the 350 yard race. The five, will be looking for another
gelding's owners are Tommy finish in the money on Sunday
Pryborski and Bill McMeans of when Deadly Dart starts his run in
Brenham, the Rainbow.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Freeman, Susie. Lee County Weekly (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 4, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 13, 1989, newspaper, July 13, 1989; Giddings, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1665785/m1/1/: accessed June 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center.